Cornell sprint football finished its season with a 26-6 loss to Penn on Friday night at Schoellkopf Field, falling behind early before a third-quarter touchdown briefly brought the Big Red within eight points.
Penn scored twice in the fourth quarter to secure the win on Cornell’s senior day, according to Cornell Athletics. Cornell ended the year 2-6, while Penn finished 4-4.
Penn builds a two-touchdown lead
Kruz Meier recovered a Penn fumble on the opening play, but Cornell went three-and-out. A later fumble by Ben Roerden gave Penn possession at the Cornell 26, setting up a 3-yard touchdown run by JT Goodman. Brandon Tauscher blocked the extra point.
Penn extended its lead early in the second quarter when Dante Coury scored from 1 yard out to complete a 72-yard, 12-play possession. A successful two-point conversion made it 14-0.
Cornell responded with a 54-yard drive but turned the ball over on downs at the Penn 21. Josh Johnson intercepted Beck Berry with 46 seconds remaining before halftime, and Penn carried its 14-point lead into the break.
Roerden brings Cornell within eight
A defensive stop on fourth down at Cornell’s 32 gave the Big Red an opportunity in the third quarter. Cornell used 13 plays to cover 68 yards, consuming 6:56 before Roerden scored on a 1-yard run with 44 seconds left in the period. The extra-point attempt failed, leaving Penn ahead 14-6.
Cornell’s next possession ended on downs at the Penn 49 early in the fourth. Jack Badner then connected with Jason Sheairs for a 13-yard touchdown with 8:19 remaining.
Berry’s second interception preceded Penn’s final scoring drive, which ended with Goodman’s 7-yard run with 2:28 left. Penn converted Cornell turnovers into 12 points during the game.
Seniors contribute in their final game
Roerden led Cornell with 49 rushing yards on 14 carries and also recorded seven tackles, including a sack and a tackle for loss. Jason Milo had a team-high 12 tackles, while Meier added 10 and his fumble recovery.
Senior Dan O’Malley made six tackles and forced a fumble. Fellow senior Thomas Shegogue recorded a sack for a 16-yard loss, and Ethan Qasemi made three tackles in his final game.
Andrew Lay caught a 37-yard pass, Cornell’s longest play, and gained 28 yards on three carries in his senior finale. Eddie Hajjar added 12 rushing yards on four attempts.
Carson Ciaio contributed six tackles and 19 rushing yards. Aaron Gellert broke up three passes. Cornell’s defense finished with two sacks and three tackles for loss, stopped Penn twice on fourth down and blocked an extra point.
Penn held a 388-204 advantage in total offense, including 228-120 on the ground. Berry completed eight of 22 passes for 84 yards with two interceptions, and Kyle Melkonian rushed nine times for 18 yards. Cornell converted two of 12 third downs and two of five fourth downs.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.